Countdown
by Miss Peg
Summary: After a case goes wrong, Jane drinks herself stupid and ends up being saved by a stranger, leading to a very strange turn of events. Based on the concept of the Savin' Me music video by Nickelback.
1. Chapter 1

**Author Note : I have always loved the song Savin' Me by Nickelback and I especially love the music video (you should check it out, if you can). It's been a song I've kind of considered writing a fic about for years, but actually, I think the video is much more interesting in terms of scope for writing. So I sort of mixed the two and have created this. There will be a small number of chapters, not sure how many just yet, but it probably won't be a long fic.**

 **I know I have some other fics to work on and they will be coming, one will just take a bit of work. Hoping to update Rookie soon.**

 **Disclaimer : I don't own Rizzoli and Isles, or the world they live in, but I do hang out there sometimes.**

 **Warning : Brief mention of suicide (case).**

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The world span for the sixth time that week. The roof top terrace of Jane's apartment block was empty. The young couple who lived on the floor below hers had peaked their head round the door, but on seeing Jane, had changed their mind and disappeared again. She was thankful. She was in no fit state to spend time with anyone. The bottle of beer in her hand shook, the cool evening reached her bones. Jane slumped down on a plastic chair someone had set up by the wall and stared out at the city, finishing off her beer and reaching for another. On the first day she knew she would regret drinking so heavily, by the fourth her hangover had become perpetual. The only issue was going into work. A problem she wouldn't have to face for a while. Her phone buzzed in her pocket, the noise ringing out across the night sky until it eventually stopped. A moment later it pinged and Jane lifted it to her ear to listen to the message.

"Jane, I'm worried," Maura said, her voice level and confident. "Please call me back. Korsak told me you were suspended."

She dropped her arm and held the phone for a moment. A burst of anger filled her up from the inside causing her to throw her arm out in front of her. The phone flew out of her grasp, over the wall and landed with a distant clatter below.

Another beer gone, she picked up the empty box and growled. She wasn't done drinking yet. Her buzz was enough to hold her in a state of anger, but she didn't want to feel anything. She pushed herself up and out of the chair, her legs wobbled and she almost tumbled forwards. She gripped the plastic arms of the chair to steady herself and made the difficult journey across the terrace.

Taking it one step at a time, Jane stumbled down the stairs, her fingers dug into the rail as she went down to her apartment. She unlocked the door and went for the kitchen cupboards, dragging the contents out onto the floor and counters until she found a bottle of white wine vinegar. She scrunched up her face as the liquid travelled down her throat, then threatened to come back up. Gagging, she poured herself a glass of water which followed it down. Then she continued looking through the items scattering her kitchen.

"Ninety-nine per cent alcohol," she whispered, reaching for a white bottle of liquid cleaner. She fumbled with the cap and took a mouthful, spitting it back out, before vomiting on the floor.

Then she remembered the bottle of wine she had in her closet. It cost a lot more than she ever thought she'd pay for wine, and Maura's birthday was just a couple of days away, but she sought it out anyway, grabbed a cork screw, and carried it back up to the roof.

"Hap buthdy, Maur," she slurred, uncorking the bottle and holding it up to the sky. She wrapped her lips around the top and guzzled like an amateur athlete at the end of a race.

The wine tasted soft and fruity, like the bottle and wine connoisseur she'd asked for advice had told her. But the fuzziness in her brain made the quality anything but a focus. She stood by the wall and watched the people on the ground walking by. Cabs and cars drove past. A couple of men walked hand in hand. Jane lifted a foot and pushed forwards until she stood on top of the wall.

"Goo, goud evenin' Boston," she shouted, holding her up bottle and taking another swig.

Once half the bottle was gone, she lowered her hand and closed her eyes. She felt herself wobbling, the world still spinning around her. A sickness overwhelmed her and she felt her stomach contract. She turned and allowed the contents of her stomach to land on the terrace behind her. Then she lifted the bottle to her mouth and drank some more.

"Hey, wait," someone shouted, their voice travelled across the street.

Jane tried to focus but they were too small in the distance and her eyes blurred too much. She searched for who the man was looking for, but to no avail. She held the bottle up in front of her, throwing her hand out with a little too much force that the wine slipped from her fingers and fell below. She held a hand up to her ear, listening carefully for the distant smash. When it came, she laughed and rocked about on the wall.

"Don't," the man's voice again, closer this time.

She turned to look at him, but the alcohol in her system caused her to lose her footing and she slipped off the wall. A pair of hands wrapped around her just in time and she allowed them to pull her back onto the terrace.

Another wave of sickness hit. Jane closed her eyes and lowered herself to the ground, her jeans wet from the mess she'd created earlier. She hummed softly, blotting out the adrenaline and fear spreading through her mind. Knowing she could have easily died made her heart hurt. She reached into her pocket for her phone, the memory of it being flung over the wall flooded her mind. She groaned again and opened her eyes.

"Wait," she shouted, but the man had already disappeared. She closed her eyes again and rolled onto her side. Her heart still thrummed against her chest, but the alcohol fought against it and won. Her mind slowed down, and she slipped into an alcohol induced sleep.

Jane walked down to her apartment the next morning, the pressure in her head felt like it was in a vice and her tongue was as rough as sandpaper. She downed three large glasses of water, then stripped and stood under the stream of the hot shower. The night before was a blur. She remembered only enough to realise that she couldn't do it again. The stranger who saved her would never know how thankful she was to him for saving her life. She put on a relatively clean shirt and pair of slacks, picked up her house keys and searched for her cell phone.

"Well done, Rizzoli," she muttered, remembering the noise it made it as she flung it across the street.

She headed for her car, before changing her mind. The last thing she needed after being suspended for turning up drunk three days in a row was to receive a DUI. She hailed a cab. The street was quiet. The driver was the first person she'd seen all day. She settled into the backseat and glanced at the man, before doing a double take. Jane squinted her eyes, scrunched them up and tried to refocus them. The thumping in her head did nothing to ease the confusion. She stared at a line of numbers above the man's head, slowly counting down.

"You alright?" the driver asked, staring back at her. Jane nodded, though she wasn't sure she was.

When she climbed out of the vehicle at the other end, the streets were much busier. People walked back and forth, similar numbers above their heads, counting down like the cab driver's. Jane walked up the front steps to the entrance of the Boston Police Department. The uniformed officer on the desk nodded her through, despite her not having a badge to show him, his number ticking along. She tried to work out what was being calculated.

"Is everything okay, Detective Rizzoli?" the man asked, looking behind him. Jane nodded again and headed for the elevator.

The squad room was a hive of activity when Jane arrived. Frankie sat at his desk, his number as high as most of the numbers she'd seen since getting out of the cab. When she turned to Korsak, his number much lower, her heart flipped about inside of her chest. The only logical answer was that the number counted the minutes and seconds left in a person's life. The number above Korsak's head was strikingly low.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Korsak asked, his attention falling on Jane. She leant forwards and wrapped her arms around him. He stood like a post, stiff and tall, until Jane took a step back. She'd overstepped the mark. "Are you trying to get yourself fired? You should not be here during your suspension unless called for an official meeting."

"I have a meeting," Jane said, the lie not fooling anyone. She forced her lips to curl at the edges, though her smile was slight. She placed a hand on Korsak's upper arm. "I'm leaving. You should get a check up, Korsak, you don't look well."

The confusion on his face lingered long enough for Jane to slip away. His anger made her feel worse and she didn't want to end their conversation on a bad note, especially not if he was running out of time. She pressed the button for the elevator and waited, staring around at all of the different people around her. Some were, by the judgement of the countdowns, healthy and going to live for years, others had their days numbered – literally.

In the basement, Jane sat down in Maura's office and waited. She could see her through the glass window, carrying out an autopsy on the body they'd found a couple of days before. The process had been delayed by her actions, something which she regretted. Any delay and a case could run cold. She stared, fixated, at the number above Maura's head. Lower than Frankie's but higher than Korsak's. She wondered what number she had above her own. But a trip to the restroom proved nothing but useless. She couldn't see any numbers.

For a moment she wondered if that meant she'd died. Maybe she hadn't been saved the night before, after all, maybe she'd fallen and the whole day was a figment of her imagination. An afterlife, as such.

Then Maura entered her office, her brow furrowed as she enveloped Jane in a hug and held her tightly. Jane relaxed in her arms and allowed herself to let go of the anger she'd been holding onto for days. No amount of alcohol was going to change what she'd done.

"Is this about Ricardo?" Jane nodded. Maura held her at arms length. "You know as well as anybody that we cannot predict when someone's time is up."

"He was a child, Maura," Jane said, wondering what Maura would say if she knew that she was able to do just that. She walked across to the door to the autopsy room and looked at Ricardo's father. No numbers. If her hypothesis wasn't correct, she would eat her favourite Red Sox jersey. Maura stood at her side, following Jane's line of sight. "He didn't deserve to die because I screwed up. Neither of them did."

"Maybe he was going to die anyway."

"Like fate?" Jane turned, her eyebrow raised. "You don't believe in a predestination of death."

Maura shrugged and raised her eyebrows. "Maybe not. But that doesn't mean it can't be true."

Jane contemplated what she was saying. The numbers above her head suggested that she was speaking a truth she didn't herself believe.

"I'll be doing his autopsy after his father's," Maura said. "At the moment it looks like I was correct and Antonio Vega died by his own hand. A single stab wound piercing the upper ventricle which bled out.

The pain in Jane's head grew worse. Maybe she wasn't hung-over. Maybe she had a brain tumour. It was the only valid reason why she could be seeing people's live's countdowns.

"I'm worried about Korsak," Jane said, sitting down on the couch. Maura sat beside her. A silence fell between them. Maura didn't have to speak for Jane to know that she felt the same way, but about her. "I'm okay."

"Are you?" Jane nodded. "I tried to call you last night. Why didn't you answer? Were you drinking again?"

Whichever answer Jane gave would not be the right one. She didn't want to hurt Maura, but she couldn't hide the fact she'd fallen apart over Ricardo's death, and his father's subsequent suicide. How could she explain that she'd nearly died herself just a few hours before?

"Yes."

Maura sighed. "You are better than this, Jane. You don't need alcohol to recover from what happened."

"I am not seeing a shrink," she said.

"I didn't suggest a therapist."

"You were going to."

"How do you know?"

"You doctors stick together."

"I hate seeing you like this," Maura said. "Ricardo and Antonio's deaths were unfortunate. But you cannot blame yourself."

"Like hell I can't."

There was a knock at the door. Korsak. Jane shifted uncomfortably on the couch. She knew she shouldn't be there. He glanced over at her.

"I thought I might find you here," he said, his breath laboured. "You've got a meeting with Cavanaugh tomorrow at two, don't be late, and don't be smelling of alcohol."

Jane focused on the numbers above his head, even lower than earlier. Circular stains below his armpits suggested physical exertion. His breathing only grew worse. Jane stood up and moved closer.

"Are you okay, Korsak?"

"I'm fine," he said, defensively. His number slipped lower, as Korsak's face grew red.

"Get a de, a defrizz, defib," Jane started to say, but the word wouldn't come to her. "The heart thing."

"A defibrillator?" Maura asked. Jane nodded. "Why would I need one of those?"

A second later, as Korsak's number slipped even further, he clutched his chest and fell to the floor. Maura turned to Jane, her eyes wide with surprise.

"The defibrillator," Jane shouted, as Maura knelt beside Korsak and started CPR.

"In the hallway, there's a key in my top drawer."

Jane opened the drawer and pulled out a single key and sprinted for the hallway. She unlocked the cabinet and took out the machine, carrying it back to Maura's office where Korsak lay with his shirt open. He looked weaker than Jane had ever seen him. Her heart leapt into her throat.

"Save him," Jane begged, placing the machine on the floor. Maura's brow creased but she stayed silent. The number was growing smaller and smaller by the second. Jane's heart sped up, her breathing grew laboured and her chest ached.

With the pads fixed to his torso, Maura turned the machine on and shocked him once, then twice. Jane rested her hands on her knees, relief setting in as his number jumped up considerably.

"He's okay," Jane whispered, her heart racing with adrenaline. She breathed in and out quickly.

"Hardly," Maura said, reaching for her cell phone and holding it to her ear. "I need an ambulance."

After giving out the instructions, Maura stayed by Korsak's side, monitoring his condition. Jane sat on the couch and watched his number tick along normally.

"Why are you so relaxed?" Maura asked, staring at Jane.

"He's fine."

"No, he's not," Maura said. "He has had a cardiac arrest. He will likely need surgery. It's going to take him weeks, maybe months, to recover."

Jane remembered that Maura only had the evidence in front of her to go off. An older man, unconscious, having just been shocked back to life. She knelt beside her and took her hand. They both cared about him.

"You are the best doctor I know," Jane said. "You saved his life, I know you did."

"Let's hope so," Maura said, moving away as the EMTs arrived.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author Note** **: Thank you so much for the comments, favourites and follows - they are all appreciated so much. Writing the second chapter of this story has been fun and I hope I can do the idea justice.**

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The keys clattered in the bowl by Jane's door. She slouched onto the couch, her body exhausted from the lack of sleep and the long day. She'd been at the hospital since late morning. Korsak's surgery had been delayed by a couple of hours, and she didn't want to leave until she was at least certain his number wouldn't change again.

"Hey there, girl!" Jane said, grinning as Jo Friday jumped onto her lap and settled down. Her brow furrowed at the number above her head. The first she'd seen on an animal. It was a lot smaller than human ones.

She sighed. She'd watched more numbers shrink within minutes of the person's life, whilst sitting in the hospital. Too many near misses, doctors and nurses fighting hard against the clock, trying to reverse what was already expected to happen. She'd watched one woman die in front of her before anyone even realised. She just dropped down, her number flickered off, and she was gone. They worked for forty minutes before they were satisfied that she wasn't coming back.

"At least I have you," Jane said, running her fingers along Jo Friday's back. She reached up to her head, cautious in her desire to touch the countdown. Her fingers travelled through it, like a ghost sitting above the dog's mind. A smile crept across her face. The whole thing fascinated her.

By morning, Jane's neck hurt from sleeping in an uncomfortable position on the couch. She really needed to start using her bed again. Jo Friday yapped by the door until she took her downstairs to go to the bathroom. Jane stood by a tree and waited. She turned around and looked across the street. A couple were stood talking on a doorstep, their numbers healthy. An older woman pushed a stroller down the street, her number lower, whilst the little boy's was high.

"Not a dream, then," Jane said, gripping Jo Friday's leash tighter. "Come on, girl. I have to see Maura before my meeting."

The morgue was quiet when Jane walked in. No bodies were on the slabs; the crime techs were silently working in the lab. Maura wasn't in her office. Jane walked through to the morgue refrigerators. She ran a hand along the doors, trying to decide whether it was a good idea to open them, or not.

"Ricardo," she whispered, her hand resting on the handle of the little boy she couldn't save. She lowered her head and pulled on the handle. When she unzipped the bag, he appeared to be sleeping. But the absence of numbers above his head confirmed what she already knew. She reached a hand out to touch his face. "I'm sorry."

"What are you doing?"

Jane pulled her hand away and turned at Maura's question. Her tone was harsher than she'd ever heard it. She lowered her gaze further. Maura stepped forwards and Jane moved to one side as she zipped the boy back up and closed the door.

"You shouldn't be in here. Not while you're under suspension."

"I know," Jane said. "I just needed to see him."

"You could throw off the whole investigation."

"I thought you said it wasn't my fault," Jane said, confused by Maura's terseness.

Maura's expression softened. "It wasn't. Ricardo died of Tuberculosis. But you being here does not look good."

"TB?"

"Yes. I suspect he has had latent TB for much of his life. Unfortunately, in some cases, it can become active. Looking at Ricardo's medical records, he has not been treated for Tuberculosis, only a persistent cough. Antonio Vega wasn't financially stable enough to support his son's medical care, his visits to the doctor were minimal, which will have led to his deterioration and subsequent death."

"Could I have saved him?"

"No, Jane." Maura held out a hand, motioning for Jane to leave the room. Maura followed her. "He suffered massive internal bleeding. His lungs were filled with tubercles. Even if you had called an ambulance the second he went down, he would not have survived. Apprehending the suspect instead of getting Ricardo an ambulance didn't kill him. _You_ didn't kill him."

Jane sunk into one of Maura's office chairs. Despite being exonerated of guilt, Jane still felt incredibly sad. He was just a little boy and he had his whole life ahead of him. His death had obviously devastated his father, to the point of suicide, and that was even sadder. Especially knowing that if Antonio had given his son the medical care he needed, he might have had a chance at survival. Now they were both dead.

"Antonio also suffered from TB. His case was a lot milder. Had he not chosen to die, he could have been cured. You should be checked over by a medical professional." Maura sat behind her desk. "You will need to be tested for antibodies, and you may need to start a course of antibiotics."

"Why?" Jane sat upright.

"You were with Ricardo when he died. There is a chance you may have become infected."

"Oh."

"It's unlikely you'll develop TB, but it's a precaution you should take."

They sat in silence for a minute. Jane watched the number above Maura's head absently. It was calming, like watching a stop watch during a cross country race. The last week had been a bizarre turn of events, and Jane was glad to be able to put at least some of them to bed. Though she still had her meeting with Cavanaugh after lunch, and the countdown didn't appear to be going away anytime soon.

"Maura," Jane said, contemplating her current predicament. "What would you say if someone told you they could see numbers...above people's heads?"

Maura tilted her head to the side and frowned. "Have you been watching the sci-fi channel again?"

"Yes, I have," Jane said, the lie seeming the only obvious direction to go. "So, what would you say?"

"It would depend on the circumstances surrounding the hallucination."

"What if it's not an hallucination?"

"What else could it be?" Maura asked. "Scientifically, it's nonsense. It's possible that the person has been taking drugs. They may suffer from a mental or neurological illness such as schizophrenia or dementia, Alzheimer's disease, even Parkinson's disease. I would say if they haven't been taking hallucinogenics, they are more likely to be exhibiting signs of mental breakdown."

"But how would you know?"

Maura clasped her hands on the desk in front of her. "I have been through medical school, Jane, I know a thing or two about mental wellbeing, and hallucinations do not fit into that category."

"But, say, somebody saved their life and then they woke up the next morning and everybody had the countdowns above their heads," Jane said.

"Countdowns?" Maura raised her eyebrows. "So it's not just random numbers?"

"No."

"Hallucinations can be worrying. Particularly when there is so much detail and specifics. Would they be coupled with anything else? Hearing voices? Lack of sleep?"

"I suppose there may be some lack of sleep."

"Hypnogogic and hypnopompic hallucinations only occur when a person is falling asleep or as they start to wake up. It's unlikely the hallucinations would continue throughout the day without there being a more serious neurological condition or mental illness."

Jane sighed. The explanations Maura presented to her were not sufficient. She didn't know what she was looking for, but everything Maura said sounded wrong. She knew in herself – or at least hoped – that she wasn't suffering from a mental breakdown.

"Is there any chance it could be something that science can't explain?" she asked.

"No."

"What do you mean no?"

"I mean, no," Maura said.

"You didn't even consider it."

"I believe in science, Jane. Not science fiction." Maura stood up and sat beside her. "I don't need to consider it. Science cannot explain hallucinations beyond mental and neurological diseases, some visual impairments, and drug and alcohol use."

"Wait," Jane said. "If someone's been drinking a lot of alcohol, they may see things?"

"It's possible," said Maura. "Though it usually occurs when there is a sudden withdrawal."

"Let's use me as an example," Jane said. "If I had been up all night drinking."

"Which you were."

"Not last nig…forget it," Jane said. "So I was up all night drinking, and then I woke up this morning and I could see numbers above people's heads. Would it be because of the alcohol?"

Maura shook her head. "Unlikely. It's more frequent in people who have a severe dependence, and then stop suddenly. Given the amount of alcohol you would have consumed, and how late you were drinking, you are likely to still have alcohol in your blood stream."

"Gotcha."

"I hope you didn't drive here this morning."

"I wasn't drinking," Jane said, gritting her teeth. She may have thrown the last week away in a drunken stupor, but that didn't mean she'd continued.

"Jane."

"Yes?"

"Have you been seeing numbers?"

"No."

Maura raised an eyebrow, her eyes fixed on Jane's. She attempted to avert her gaze, but Maura's eyes never moved away.

"No," she said, staring into her eyes adamantly. "I stayed up too late watching the sci-fi channel."

"Okay."

At five minutes to two, Jane sat outside Cavanaugh's office tapping her foot impatiently on the floor. After leaving Maura, she'd taken a quick trip to the hospital to check on Korsak – who was still unconscious – before returning to BPD for her meeting.

"Detective Rizzoli," Cavanaugh said, standing in his doorway. Jane stood up and followed him inside, taking the seat he offered her. "I'm sure you're well aware of why you are here. Before I reach a decision over your actions, you have a minute to explain yourself."

"Erm," she said, kicking herself for being so unprepared. She thought about her nights sat on the roof of her apartment building, watching the world go by in a drunken stupor. She thought about the mistakes she'd made with Ricardo, and the subsequent mistakes she made afterwards. "I screwed up. I thought I was responsible for the death of a little boy and I allowed it to get to me. I made a decision to drink heavily and continue to come into work like nothing had changed. I let myself down, I let Boston Police Department down and I let you down. I'm sorry."

"Is that all you have to say?"

Jane nodded. "No, wait. Korsak nearly died yesterday. I got a kick in the gut and it made me see how stupid I've been. My job's important to me. Getting justice for people who can't defend themselves matters. I am my job and if you take it away from me, I don't know what I'll do."

"Don't worry, Rizzoli," Cavanaugh said. "You're not going to get fired. But this will be on your permanent record. You screw up again and I can't guarantee your job will be safe. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal clear, sir," she said.

"With Korsak out of action, I can't be two men down in homicide, so I'm willing to lift your suspension early. You'll be tested for alcohol every day until I am satisfied that you're no longer a risk to your unit. If you refuse, you will be let go. If you test above zero for alcohol consumption, you will be let go. If you turn up drunk, we will find any criminal charge we can and slap it on you. Got it?"

"Got it."

"Now get back to the squad room, they're about to go out to a body."

Running water sprinkled down on them from a couple of floors above, the drainage system had broken and the pipe lay on the floor in the alleyway. Jane covered her head with her jacket and ran under the stream to get to the body.

"What have we got?" she asked a young, male, uniformed officer stood beside her with a notepad. His number 525,552.55.02 suggested a good long life.

"An unknown female, possibly a hooker, Caucasian, mid-twenties."

"Do we know anything else?"

"Doctor Isles is with her," he said, scurrying away.

"You got a cause of death, Maura?" Jane asked, stepping up beside her.

"I just got here," Maura said.

Jane glanced at the woman's body, the side of her scull was covered in thick matted blood, her hair tangled up. The colour was drained from her face, and her legs were uncovered right up to her underwear. The thing that stood out the most, however, was the number still present over her head.

"She's still alive," Jane said under her breath.

"She's what?" Maura asked, looking from Jane to the body and back again.

"Did anybody check this woman for a pulse?" she shouted, glancing around the crime techs and uniformed officers. Everyone stared back at her blankly.

Stepping forwards, Maura placed a couple of fingers against the side of the woman's neck and focused her attention. A moment later, Maura took her cell phone out of her pocket.

"Can we get an ambulance to the alley behind Fifth and Maple? We have a young woman with a blunt force trauma to the side of her head. Her pulse is extremely weak, but she's alive."

Her eyes trained on Jane. The conversation ended and she turned her attention to the woman. Jane watched as Maura tried to stem the bleeding and attend to the woman's wounds long enough to keep her alive before the EMTs arrived.

When the ambulance arrived and the girl was shipped off to hospital, Maura packed up her medical bag.

"Jane, walk me to my car," she said. Jane followed, her brow creased. When they reached the car, away from the rest of the officers, Maura spoke again. "How did you know she was still alive?"

"I dunno," Jane said.

"You knew Korsak was going to need the defibrillator, also."

"Just a guess?" she asked, shrugging her shoulders. "He didn't look well."

She knew Maura was seeing through her attempts to dilute her actions. Despite bringing up the subject with the doctor, Jane wasn't entirely comfortable telling her the truth. She didn't want her mental wellbeing to be called into question when she'd just got her job back.

"Okay," Maura said, her eyes fixed on Jane's.

Jane lifted hers to Maura's numbers, anything to distract herself from the confused look on Maura's face. The number ticked down normally, a healthy 436,776.21.43 she'd come to accept as safe. As she stared longer, the number jumped down considerably and Jane's heart leapt into her throat. She rested a hand on the roof of Maura's car and allowed her eyes to meet Maura's. Her hazel eyes continued to stare back.

"What's wrong, Jane?" she asked, her brow furrowed.

"Nothing," she said, glancing between Maura's eyes and the lower number above her head. It wasn't dangerously low, but it was low enough for Jane to realise that something had shifted. At some point since finding out the girl was alive and having a conversation about it, the fates had changed. Maura's life was now getting closer to its end and Jane only had 120 hours 15 minutes 27 seconds left to change that.

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 **Author Note** **: Thank you for reading this chapter! Comments, thoughts, feelings, are all welcomed and appreciated, as are favourites and follows. But as long as you've enjoyed it, that's all that really matters!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author Note : Thank you everyone for the lovely comments, and for following/favouriting. I hope you enjoy this one...**

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"No…Maura," Jane said, lifting her lifeless body into her arms and cradling her. Tears stung her eyes. " _No_."

She buried her face into the crook of Maura's neck, her skin was still warm and it smelled like the fancy, expensive shampoo she'd purchased the week before. Jane's hands shook as she clung to her, her heart thumped against the now still heart of the woman she cared deeply for. When she pulled away, her eyes landed on Maura's face.

But it wasn't Maura anymore.

Ricardo's large brown eyes stared back at her. His limp body so broken and small. Tears caught in the back of her throat and she choked on her emotions, finally allowing them to break through her defences. She closed her eyes, the tears strolling like bugs on her face, down to her chin.

She opened her eyes. Jane's breath caught in her throat, gasping for air. She reached out to her side, to the empty bed. The numbers still ticked by, even across town they were seared into her brain. She reached for her cell phone on the bedside table and pressed the call button.

"Maura," she said, her heart settled at the sound of her voice.

"Jane?" She sounded confused. "It's two thirty in the morning."

"I just wanted to check that you're okay."

"Why wouldn't I be?"

The question threw her completely. Why wouldn't Maura be okay? It was a dream. She was fine, they were both fine. Except that Maura wasn't, not unless Jane could save her. She pulled her pillows up and leant against them.

"I had a dream," she said, realising how ridiculous it sounded.

"What happened?" Maura asked, her confusion dissipated and she went into friend mode. Jane appreciated her taking the time to talk to her, despite the late hour.

Jane recounted her dream in full detail, leaving nothing out. It couldn't hurt to unburden herself as much as was feasibly possible. Given that she couldn't share with Maura her true feelings surrounding her future, her dream death would have to suffice.

"Oh," Maura said. Silence on the other end of the line made Jane worry further. Eventually, when she spoke again, her tone was a little more detached. "Dreaming of me dying could mean you're lacking a quality that I embody. Alternatively, it could mean that the way you feel about me is dead, or there is a significant change occurring between us."

She couldn't speak. Maura's words hit too close to home in ways she couldn't quite process. Jane didn't want to have to deal with losing Maura now or in the future, which meant her feelings were well and truly alive and well. Though reminding Maura of that caught in her throat.

"There's also an interpretation that to see a child die can symbolise a need to let go of immaturity and seek a more serious attitude."

"So, my head is telling me to grow up?" Jane asked, scoffing.

"Jane," Maura said, her voice trailing off into the silence.

"It's just a dream, Maura," she said, shrugging it off as best as she could. "Besides, since when were you a Dream Doctor? I thought you didn't believe in fate, astrology, and other mumbo jumbo?"

Maura took a deep breath before she started up. "I may not believe in generic offerings based on the day you were born, but dreams come from the unconscious mind, a place we've yet to fully understand. Whilst many interpretations of dreams appear to be clutching at straws in some respects, there could be some truth in them."

"What are you saying?" Jane asked.

"I may not believe that you're dreaming about my death because our relationship is changing, but maybe you're still worrying about Ricardo's death and how your desire for fun might have had implications within your control."

"You're saying I caused Ricardo's death?"

" _No_." Maura paused. "You know the autopsy proves otherwise. But that doesn't stop your unconscious mind from considering that your occasional desire to behave immaturely might have been counter intuitive to saving his life."

Pulling the bed sheets up around her shoulders, Jane sunk back under the covers. She listened to the silence. She didn't know what else to say, but she didn't want to hang up.

"We have work in the morning," Maura said, hinting that their call was due to come to an end. Jane bid her farewell and placed her cell phone back on the bedside table.

The woman stood beside the victim's bed the next morning. Her dark blonde hair a shade lighter than her sister's. Jane watched from the corridor, analysing the woman's sadness over her sibling's injuries. It was very rare that she was tasked with solving a murder only for the the victim to survive. Usually time would tell if she continued to remain alive, but the numbers over her head suggested she was out of the woods. The irony that her sister's countdown was lower didn't escape Jane's notice. When the woman stepped away from the bedside, Jane inched forwards and waited for her to exit the room.

"Sarah Hughes?" she asked. The woman nodded. She held a hand out to her. "I'm Detective Jane Rizzoli, I'm working on Alice's case."

"Oh, hi," Sarah said, wiping at a couple of stray tears. "Do you know who might have done this?"

"We're currently chasing a number of potential leads. If there's anything you know that might help."

"Of course."

Jane straightened her shoulders and stood upright. She hated having 'the' conversation. "Your sister was found in an alley, dressed in very little, in an area known for prostitution."

"Ali was _not_ a prostitute," she said, her tone harsh and her eyes narrowed at Jane.

"I'm sorry, I had to ask," Jane said. "Do you know why Ali might have been there?"

"She has some friends, they're pretty shitty people. They go out drinking together and often leave her on her own in bad neighbourhoods. She's called me to come get her countless times. I don't know why she continues to go out with them. If she'd just called me, none of this would have happened. I've told her she should be more careful," Sarah's voice trailed off, strung up by the tears catching in her throat.

"I know this is hard," Jane said. "If you could give us any names, we can try to find out if they know what happened."

Sarah nodded. "I, I have a key to her apartment. She never logs off her email account. I can find the information."

Jane placed a hand on her shoulder. "Thank you."

"Is that everything?" she asked. "I need to go and pick my son up from the babysitters."

"Yes, you've been a huge help."

Back at BPD, Jane took the elevator down to the morgue. On seeing Maura, she paced towards her and pulled her into her arms. She didn't care that Maura was in the middle of talking to Susie, she just needed to feel her physically close.

"Jane, what," Maura said, stepping back, her brow furrowed.

"It's so good to see you."

Maura raised an eyebrow. "I didn't die in real life."

"No," Jane said, her eyes travelling to the numbers above her head continuing to count down dangerously close to zero. Her heart sunk. In the hours she'd spent away from Maura, she'd hoped that something might change to rectify the issue. But nothing had.

"Do I get a hug?" Susie asked, a smile spread across her face. Jane just stared at her. Susie held up her hands and turned to walk away. "Alright, no hug."

"Did you see Alice?"

"The doctors say she's stable," Jane said, careful not to sound too enthusiastic about her recovery. "Frankie's going to meet the sister at Alice's apartment to find out the details of some people she's been hanging with. You got anything?"

"Considering I don't have a body, very little," Maura said, walking across to Alice's clothing laid out on a table. "I do, however, have seminal stains on the inside of her clothing and tearing around the leg bands of her underwear. The likely cause being force, something which could have occurred from passionate intercourse. Without doing a thorough examination of Alice, I can't tell whether this was consensual or not."

"Can we get a DNA sample?"

"Already sent to the lab," Maura said. "We're running it through the system to look for a match. It's gonna take some time."

Jane sighed. "So we have a victim with blunt force trauma, who has either had sex or been raped. My money's on the guy who fucked her and left her for dead."

At her desk, Jane flicked through the case file. Everything about the case should have been open and shut. They had obtained video footage of Alice at a bar with a man, DNA evidence that would likely link him to the scene, and a newly acquired doctor's report highlighting evidence of forced penetration. Unfortunately, the man had covered his head up with a hood making identification impossible. The DNA evidence was the only thing they had that could identify their likely killer.

"Have you seen Korsak today?" Frankie asked, perching on the corner of Jane's desk.

"Dropped in to see him before checking in with the victim's sister. He's bored as hell and can't wait to go home."

"Good," he said, smiling.

Jane smiled back. His eyes fixed upon hers. She wanted to look away, but the numbers above his head were too captivating. She'd barely taken time to really look at what she was seeing. Every time she paid any attention, she was usually too focused on the information it was sharing and not the numbers themselves. It was like staring at a timer, knowing it wouldn't run out any time soon.

"Janie?"

"What?"

"You're staring, at my head," Frankie said, looking up and running a hand over the top of his hair. His fingers slipped through the ghostly numbers. "Everything alright? You're behaving kind of strange."

"Fine, Frankie," she said, refocusing her attention on his face. "You get anything from the apartment?"

"Got a couple of names, uniform are chasing them up. Unfortunately, they're both female."

"Well there goes that theory," Jane said, slamming her fist down on the desk.

She let out a sigh and rubbed her eyes. She had no idea where to begin trying to save Maura, the only thing she had to go off was the case. If she could solve the case before Maura's countdown ran out, maybe she could save Maura. Much of the day she'd spent trying to distract herself. She had to fight the urge to set up camp in the autopsy room, or Maura's office. Despite wanting to do everything she could to save her, the day was already half over and she was getting nowhere.

"You should go home," Frankie said, running a hand across her shoulder. "You look exhausted."

"I'm fine," she said, snapping. "We need to get this guy."

"If this is about Korsak."

"It's _not_ about Korsak."

"The case with the kid, then." Jane reached out and flicked Frankie's ear. He flinched. "Ow!"

"Would you lay off? We're a man down, I've not had a lot of sleep, and you're doing my head in." Jane stood up and leant forwards, wrapping her arms around Frankie's shoulders. "But I love you, so quit bugging me and go find out if your girlfriend has found anything on the traffic camera footage."

Frankie rolled his eyes and stood up. "Nina is not my girlfriend."

"I'm a detective, baby brother," Jane said, raising an eyebrow.

"We slept together," he said, smirking. "Twice."

"Ah-hah!"

"Don't ah-hah, Janie," he said, shaking his head. "It's been three weeks. She's not even talking to me now, except about the case. I guess it's over. We had some fun. Now we're not."

"I'll check myself then," said Jane, slapping Frankie on the arm playfully. "I knew you two were getting on well."

Entering the BRIC, Jane watched the numbers above Nina's head count down, as she stared intently at her computer screen. She took a step towards her and hovered by the desk, waiting for Nina's attention to be drawn to her.

"Nothing yet," she said, barely glancing up.

"Come on Nina," Jane said. "We're counting on there being another way to identify this guy."

"I'm working as fast as I can," she said, sitting back in her chair and placing her hands across her stomach.

The movement of her fingers caught Jane's attention and she followed them down across to her stomach. When a very small, very faint countdown covered her hands, Jane's eyes bugged.

"You're pregnant!" she said, before she could stop herself.

"Wha," Nina began, opening and closing her mouth as the words disappeared into the silence.

"I'm sorry," Jane said. "I don't know where that came from."

"How did you know?" Nina asked, closing her eyes. "I haven't told _anyone_."

Jane lifted her shoulders apologetically. "I guessed. Frankie said you two had hooked up and…"

"We _hooked up_?"

"Bad choice of words," she said. "He didn't use them. I did. He said it was over."

Nina shrugged.

"He'll make a good dad, Nina," she said. "He's dependable, he's got terrible dress sense, but what dads don't? You should at least tell him."

Nina's lips curled into a smile. "I'll think about it."

"That's all I ask," Jane said. "I promise I will keep it to myself until instructed otherwise."

"I'd appreciate that."

Jane took the stairs down to the morgue. Her need for some peace and quiet, away from the hubbub of the squad room, and the case, was barely placated by the time she reached Maura's office. She hovered in the doorway, watching Maura work. Her fingers typed away on her laptop as her life slipped further and further away. A lump settled in the back of Jane's throat and she coughed in an attempt to clear it.

"Oh, hello Jane," Maura said, closing her laptop and motioning for Jane to take a seat.

"Hi," she said, sitting down opposite her.

Twenty-four hours had passed since Jane had first discovered Maura's fate. She contemplated telling her, but her reaction the previous day left her feeling unable to do so. But she was _Maura_. She was a fountain of knowledge and she would know what to do. She was also a highly trained medical professional who wouldn't think twice about getting someone admitted to hospital to run tests for brain tumours, and mental health disorders.

"Is this a social visit, or do you have an update on the case?" Maura asked, clasping her hands on the desk in front of her.

"I just wanted to spend some time with you," Jane said, forlornly. "Remember when I used to come and sit here and watch you work?"

"Distract me, more like."

"I haven't done that in a while."

"You did it last week, every day."

"I was providing you with moral support."

"Whilst I conducted a routine autopsy on a heart attack patient?"

"Your work ain't pretty, but someone's got to do it."

"What is this really about, Jane?"

"Can't a detective watch her favourite medical examiner at work?" Jane asked. Maura stayed silent. "Whatcha working on?

"I'm preparing the financial documents for the current year so that the accountant can approve them."

"Riveting," Jane said, rolling her eyes. Maura tried to contain her smile, but a smirk escaped. Jane breathed deeply, holding on tightly to the emotions lingering in the air. "You know I love you, don't you?"

"Yes, Jane," Maura said, smiling. "And I love you. Now, can I get back to work?"

"Yes," Jane said, standing up. Her brow creased as she watched the numbers continue to fall. "Maura, isn't your annual medical overdue?"

"My annual medical?" Maura asked. "I don't think so. It's been about eight months."

"You should go for another one," Jane said, walking out of the room before Maura could question her.

* * *

 **Author Note : So, what do you think? Will Jane be able to solve the case and save Maura in time? Will Maura go for her annual medical early? Will Frankie find out he's going to be a dad? Find out next time, right here, haha. ;)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author Notes** **: I apologise that it's taken me a while to get back to this story - there should be two more chapters after this one, and now that I have a firm plan right though to the end, I should be able to complete it.**

* * *

The two women sat in front of her with tears streaming down their faces. Neither of them knew what had happened to Alice after she left the club and Jane believed them. Despite Alice's sister's opinion that they were not good friends, Jane wasn't so sure she believed her.

"When was the last time you saw her?" she asked.

"About one," Simone said. It took everything in her self control for Jane to look into her eyes and not at the numbers changing above her head.

"It was one oh seven exactly," Elle said, running a hand through her auburn hair. "I have regular medication, I was a little late because I was talking to a man at the bar. I checked the time before I took my pill. That's when I saw her leave."

Whatever her medical condition, it certainly gave her less years to live than her friend. Jane gritted her teeth to stop herself from commenting on it. "Was she with anyone?"

Elle shook her head. "Nobody. She headed for the exit. I assumed she was going out for a smoke."

"Can you tell me about this man?" Jane asked, handing over a photograph. The absence of numbers didn't escape her notice. Perhaps they had to be living and breathing in front of her to show.

"That's Jason," Simone said. "He's in a band with my brother. They were playing at the club. He and Alice have been friends for a while."

"Where was he when Alice left?"

"He was back up on stage," Simone said. "They did a set when we arrived, then started back up again just after one."

Jane placed the photograph back in the folder and took out another one. It had taken the crime techs hours to get something from the blackened image. They were lucky to find a working CCTV camera at all. She passed it to them.

"This is further CCTV footage taken from across the street. It's difficult to see because it's so dark, but can you see the man?"

"Is that the stalker?" Elle asked, placing a hand over her mouth. Simone nodded.

"Stalker?"

"Alice had a stalker." Simone sat forwards, as though what she was saying was somehow more confidential than everything else. She lowered her voice. "Some creepy guy at work who follows her around and sends her weird messages."

"What kind of weird messages?"

Simone took her cell phone from her pocket and scrolled through her messages. She handed the phone to Jane. "Alice sent me this last week. He's been hanging around like a bad smell for months since she started working at Peterson and Peterson."

"Got this message, he's fucking creeping me out. 'Alice, why won't you talk to me? I need to see you. I need to feel your beautiful face in my hands.' I don't know what to do. He's scaring me." Jane's eyebrows creased. "Did she do anything?"

"We kept telling her to go to the cops, but she refused," Elle said.

"Do you know the name of the guy?"

"Tony Scott," Simone said. "He's an accountant at the firm."

Jane stood up and dialled BPD on her cell phone. When Nina picked up she filled her in on what she'd found out.

"I think we need a detail on Alice's hospital room. Get uniform on it, I'll drop by this afternoon."

x

Korsak sat in his hospital bed looking healthier than Jane had seen him for a while. She clung to his hand. He meant the world to her. The relief that settled in when she saw his numbers still fighting fit well above their previous rate calmed her somewhat.

"You solved the case yet?" Korsak asked, placing a music magazine down on the cabinet beside his bed.

"Not yet," she said. "We've got a few leads."

"Care to share?"

"No," Jane said, shaking her head. "You need to focus on staying well."

He sighed as he sat back against the pillows. "I'm bored, Jane. I'm supposed to be out there fighting crime, not in a hospital bed withering away."

"You, wither?" Jane scoffed. "You had a heart attack. But they fixed you up and now you need to recover so you don't have another one."

"How are you?" Korsak asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm okay," she said. "You'll be pleased to know I haven't had a drink for a couple of days."

He pulled her hand up and wrapped his fingers around it. She smiled. Korsak held their hands between them as he stared at her. She narrowed her eyes briefly.

"What?" she asked.

"Don't ruin your life over one case," he said. "You're a better cop than that. You've seen tougher cases; you've dealt with harder things. He was a kid, and it sucks, but you have to move on and fight another battle."

"I'll be fine, Korsak," she said.

"You better be. I don't want to come back to work if you're getting fired for drinking on the job. It would be a waste of a good cop, and it'd be a waste of a good person."

She wiped at her cheek and cleared her throat. "Thanks, Korsak."

On her way out of the room, Jane saw Maura walking along the corridor. She pulled her into an embrace, her eyes fixed on the numbers still ticking down. They only had a couple of days left and Jane didn't know how she was going to save her. She didn't know why she needed saving in the first place. What changed? Maura saved Alice's life only for her own countdown to drop.

"Are you feeling okay?" Jane asked, in an attempt to cover all bases.

"I'm fine," Maura said. "I went for a medical, mostly to appease your worries. Clean bill of health."

"Oh."

Jane cleared her throat in an attempt to disguise the disappointment she felt. Despite not wanting anything to be wrong with Maura, at least if it was a medical issue then they could deal with it effectively. Now they were back to square one and the numbers were not increasing.

"I was going to see Korsak, but if you've just been to see him, I'll wait a while."

"He'd love to see you," Jane said.

"Where are you going?"

"Upstairs to see Alice."

"I'll walk with you."

The steady pace they took through the hospital gave Jane plenty of opportunity to stare at the numbers above Maura's head. She hated the situation she was in. How could she save Maura if she didn't really know what she was saving her from? How could she save her if every time she looked at her head, Maura would look confused? Outside Alice's hospital room, Jane offered to take over from the uniformed office for ten minutes.

"Are you any closer to figuring out what happened?" Maura asked, glancing through the glass at Alice, unconscious in the hospital bed.

"Not really." Jane stood beside Maura, her eyes fixed on their victim. She folded her arms across her chest. "We still don't know if she's going to wake up."

"The doctors were really optimistic when I spoke to them yesterday," Maura said. "They just don't know if there will be any permanent brain injury."

"That's what I'm worried about," Jane said. "If she could wake up and tell us what happened then we could solve this case. The chance of that happening is slim."

"Are you the officers looking after the patient?"

Jane turned to a man in a white coat. He stood with his hands in his pockets, a badge on his lapel, and a shirt and tie underneath. She nodded.

"I need to check on the patient."

"Go right ahead," she said, motioning towards the door.

Then she turned back to Maura who stared at the man, her eyes fixed on him.

"I don't think he's a doctor," Maura said.

"What?" Jane stared at him through the glass. He moved around Alice's body and checked her file.

"They banned doctors from wearing neckties in this hospital last year, they can spread disease. Even if he was on a temporary assignment here, he would have to follow hospital protocol."

In the distraction of Maura's observation, the blinds had been closed. Jane rushed to the door, which had somehow been locked or forced shut.

"Get security," Jane shouted, and Maura ran off down the corridor towards the nurse's station. Jane turned to her side and thrust her shoulder into the door frame. It barely moved. She tried again, but the door wouldn't budge. She lifted her foot up in the air ready to slam it down on the door. "Stay away from the door, I don't want to hurt you."

The wood splintered and the door swung open. Jane rushed into the room and grasped the back of the man's hospital jacket. She ripped off his badge – it didn't even carry the hospital logo. She turned him around and pushed him up against the wall as she cuffed him.

"You can't fool me that easily," she said.

"I just wanted to talk to her," he said. "I love her."

"I don't think _she_ loves _you_ , buddy," Jane said, pushing him out the door.

x

Jane opened the box of pizza and placed in on the table. She tried to focus on their celebratory meal, but the numbers still dangerously low above Maura's head were bothering her. Taking Tony Scott into custody should have resolved the issue. She hoped it would, anyway. Her countdown not changing worried her. What if she was wrong? What if that wasn't the threat to Maura's life?

"Do you really think Alice has a chance of recovering?" Jane asked, sitting down and grabbing a slice of pizza.

"I do," Maura said. "She's young. It depends on the severity of damage, but I think she has a fighting chance. I spoke to her doctor earlier and her brain is showing signs of strong activity."

"I hope so," Jane said. "She doesn't deserve to have her life ruined by that creep."

"I don't know how he thought he would get away with breaking into her hospital room." Maura cut into a slice and pizza with a knife and fork.

Raising an eyebrow, Jane stared at Maura, utilising the brief moment to look again at her number. She hoped the change was merely delayed, yet previously they'd changed instantaneously. She sighed and stuffed the rest of her slice into her mouth.

"You don't eat pizza with cutlery," Jane said, the words a jumble through her half chewed mouthful.

"I will eat it with a knife and fork if I please," Maura said, her lips curved at the edges. She stood up and took a plate out of the refrigerator, and carried a cheese grater across to the table.

"The pizza doesn't need anymore cheese, Maur," Jane said, swallowing her mouthful. She washed it down with a swig of beer.

"I beg to differ." She finely grated some parmesan onto her slice of pizza and continued to eat.

"Parmesan is for pasta," Jane said. "Oil is for pizza. Don't destroy my heritage."

Maura chuckled. "Your heritage? Aside from eating Angela's spaghetti and American pizza you poo poo anything to do with your heritage that she suggests."

"But Pizza is sacred."

"Have you ever tried it with parmesan?"

"No."

"Then how can you judge?"

"Fine," Jane said, placing a slice of pizza on her plate and pushing it towards Maura. "Hit me up."

She grated some cheese on top of it. Jane took a bite, her eyes moving from one side to the other in quiet contemplation. She chewed and swallowed, then took another bite.

"Well?"

"You are a fucking genius, Maur," Jane said.

"Told you."

Halfway through another bite, Jane's cell phone rang. She swallowed and lifted the phone to her ear. "Evening Nina, what's up?"

The hairs on the back of Jane's neck stood on end. She hung up the phone after a brief exchange and placed it on the table. She lifted another slice of pizza and grated some parmesan on top.

"What's wrong?" Maura asked.

"He's out," she said, nibbling the end of her pizza.

"Tony Scott?"

"The DNA doesn't match, we have no reason to hold him," Jane said. "I was so sure it would be him. I was so sure that he was our guy."

"Then we'll just have to find the evidence to prove it," Maura said.

"I'm not sure there is any. He's a creepy stalker, but is he a creepy stalker who tried to murder her?"

"Maybe."

"Who else could it be? She went to the club with her friends, they danced, drank, laughed. She chatted to a friend who went back on stage to perform when she left, and then she turned up in the garbage. What are we missing?"

"Could the musician be involved?" Maura asked, pouring herself another glass of wine.

"I don't think so," Jane said. "He was on stage for a couple hours after she left. Alice's friend could vouch for that, the owner of the club confirmed they were booked to play until three."

"There must be someone else." Maura placed her glass on the table. "Are the friends trustworthy? You said the sister didn't like them."

"I didn't get any vibes," Jane said. "They seemed like friendly girls who like to have a good time."

"Is it worth talking to them again?"

"I could try."

An hour later Jane sat on Maura's couch, her arms draped across Maura's ankles as they watched a movie. The room was dark and she felt herself drifting off. The lack of sleep over the last few days was catching up with her. She turned to Maura, to tell her she was going to head off, but her eyes were closed and her bottom lip moved as she breathed out.

"Maybe I'll stay here," Jane whispered. She lifted Maura's feet and slid out from under them. She pulled the blanket Maura kept on a chair over her and ran a hand across her cheek. She passed her fingers through the numbers above her head. Time was ticking and she was no closer to figuring this thing out. Maybe Tony Scott was still the risk, but how would she know? What if she was following a red herring? She pressed her lips to Maura's forehead and went up to the spare room. She couldn't bear the thought of sleeping in a chair for another night.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author Note** **: Thanks everyone for showing some love. This is the penultimate chapter, just one more left after this one, and then it's all over. It's been a fun story to write, it'll be sad to see it go even if it has taken me forever to write the last three chapters. Enjoy!**

* * *

"I don't understand what we're doing here," Maura said.

Jane handed her a pair of crime scene gloves and snapped a pair over her own hands. She lifted up a bag of garbage and tossed it across the alley, away from the place the victim had been found.

"We're looking for any evidence that could connect Tony Scott to our victim."

The tilt of Maura's head made her numbers follow. Jane watched with mild curiosity as they travelled down towards the floor when Maura reached for another bag. Together they shifted the pile where Alice was found.

"Bingo!" Jane said, lifting up a used condom. She took an evidence bag from her pocket and shook it open, dropping the condom inside.

"What are you expecting to find?" Maura asked.

"I'm expecting to find Tony Scott's DNA on this condom."

"Why would his DNA be on the condom? That condom could belong to any number of people who have had sexual intercourse in this alleyway."

Placing the sealed evidence bag into her pocket, Jane tugged off the gloves and tossed them into the dumpster. "Alice's friends seem to think she has occasional sex with the friend who is in the band."

"You're expecting the condom to contain his DNA?" Maura asked.

"I need you to test the condom for DNA evidence and match it with Tony Scott. Then you need to do a second test of the original DNA evidence gathered at the hospital. I'll work on getting a sample from the musician."

"You do realise that neither DNA sample will prove who attempted to murder Alice."

"No," Jane said. "But what it will do is narrow down the list of who saw her last, and thus we can bring both the musician and the stalker in for questioning."

"Thus?" Maura asked, raising an eyebrow, smirking.

Jane rolled her eyes and marched towards the road. "I've known you for too long."

She waited on the sidewalk until Maura joined her again. They walked back to the car in silence. Once they were on their way back to BPD, Maura turned to Jane.

"How are you?"

"What do you mean how am I?" Jane asked.

"It is a question people ask to ascertain someone's wellbeing."

"I know that," Jane said. "Why are you asking it?"

"Why wouldn't I ask it?" Maura paused. "You've been agitated for a while now."

"I'm fine," Jane said, slowing at the stop light.

Maura's eyes stayed fixed on Jane's. Jane glanced briefly at the numbers above her head. The absence of changes didn't seek to remove her agitation, though she was hardly going to inform Maura of that fact. She pressed down on the gas and continued towards BPD. Every person and animal that she passed had a number ticking along above them. Every person was oblivious to the countdown of their lives. She wondered if someone else had been in her position before. Was she once as oblivious as everyone was now? She pulled up outside the entrance to the building and shut off the engine.

"I'm going back to the hospital to see Alice," Jane said, handing over the evidence bag. "Call me when you've got the results."

"You know it can take weeks," Maura said, slipping out of the car.

Jane gritted her teeth, her knuckles turned pale as she gripped the steering wheel. "We don't have weeks, Maura. I need the results now."

"I'll see what I can do," Maura said, standing up as she bid her farewell.

Once the car door had closed behind her, Jane set off back along the road. She had a mission and she wasn't willing to let anything hold her back. Not when Maura's life depended on it.

x

The room where Alice lay unconscious was empty. A woman pulled the sheets from the bed and exchanged them for fresh ones. A shiver travelled down Jane's spine as she stepped into the room. The woman looked older than her mother, though her time appeared healthier than she'd have anticipated. She smiled weakly at the woman, who smiled back. She had a question to ask, but the thought of the answer made her feel worse than she already did.

"Are you the police officer?" the woman asked with a thick southern accent.

"Detective Jane Rizzoli," she said, seeking comfort in the familiarity of her introduction.

"The girl's in CT, they say she'll be back soon."

"Thank you," Jane said, the weight shifted from her shoulders. She sunk into a chair by the door and waited, watching the woman finish tidying the room.

"How is she?"

"Didn't anybody call y'all?" Jane shook her head. "She woke up this morning, as bright as the sky on July fourth."

As if on cue, as hospital porter pushed Alice into the room in a wheelchair. He applied the foot break and helped her back up onto the freshly clean sheets. Jane stood up, nodded her head at the porter and moved towards the edge of the bed.

"Hello, Alice," she said. "You probably don't know who I am."

"No," Alice whispered.

"I'm Detective Rizzoli, I've been assigned to your case. I wanted to ask you a few questions. Do you feel up to doing that?" She nodded. "Great. If at any time it gets too much, just let me know, we can stop. Alright? Do you remember what happened the night you were attacked?"

Alice closed her eyes tightly, her nose wrinkled up in the middle. The numbers ticked healthily along above the bandages covering her head injury. Eventually she opened her eyes again and looked at Jane.

"I was in the club with my friends."

"What happened at the club?" Jane asked, pulling a chair across the floor and sitting down. She took a notepad from her jacket pocket and made some notes.

"My boyfriend's band were playing."

"Your boyfriend?"

"Jason, he's in a band with my friend's brother."

"I spoke to Simone and Elle; they didn't seem to think Jason was your boyfriend. They said you two were friends."

"They don't know," Alice said, placing her hands on her lap. "We've only been together for a few weeks. We didn't want anyone to know yet."

A knock on the door pulled Jane's attention away, she glanced up as Frankie peered in through the door. She signalled for him to come inside. "Alice, what can you tell me about Tony Scott?"

Frankie pulled a chair up beside Jane and sat down, Alice's eyes froze on Frankie. "I'm Detective Rizzoli."

"My brother, he's been working the case, too," Jane said, as Alice's eyes travelled across to Jane and back to Frankie.

"Tony works at the company I was temping for," she said. "He's a creep but he's harmless."

"We have reason to believe he was at the club the night of the incident," Frankie said.

"I don't, I don't remember." Alice placed a hand on her head and winced.

"Do you remember leaving the club alone?" Alice shook her head. "What's the last thing you remember?"

Her cheeks reddened, her eyes lowered to her lap. She played with the edge of the gown she was wearing. "I was in the bathroom with Jason, we were fooling around in a stall. I don't, I don't know what happened after that."

"I know this is uncomfortable for you," Jane said, placing a hand on top of Alice's. "But I need you to try and remember, did you and Jason have sex?"

"We did."

"And did you use a condom?"

Alice's cheeks reddened further. "No. I trust him. I'm on the pill, so we didn't bother."

They thanked her for her time and exited the room. The poor woman looked exhausted and Jane knew they wouldn't get much more out of her. She stood against the wall and yawned. Her own exhaustion level was low. Despite getting a decent night's sleep on Maura's spare bed, her mind had busily worked all night long.

"What's the next move?" Frankie asked.

"Maura's sent some DNA evidence off for testing, it's going to take a few days to get anything back. We need evidence from the boyfriend before we can carry out a test on the original sample. In the meantime, I think we should bring him in for questioning. My money's on the stalker but it's worth asking the question."

Frankie nodded. "Did you try to kill your girlfriend isn't the usual follow up to do you want to have sex in the bathroom?"

Turning back to the window to the room, Jane watched Alice close her eyes and roll onto her side. The number above her head continued to tick down at a suitable pace. Jane felt her mind drifting off. She considered everything she'd learned over the last couple of days. There was so much she didn't know about the world, and the people she cared about the most. Frankie was going to be a dad, Korsak nearly died, their lives were ticking clocks waiting for the moment it was all over.

"Stop!" Frankie shouted.

Jane was pulled from her reverie. Frankie wrapped his hand around the arm of Tony Scott, as he attempted to get into Alice's room again. Before she could react, Tony pushed Frankie off and ran down the corridor. He gave chase, his feet pounding the tiled floor. Jane set off at a run in the direction they both took. She kept her focus on Tony Scott. She and Frankie followed him down two flights of stairs and out into the parking lot.

"Stop, police," Frankie shouted, a few feet ahead of her.

She pounded the tarmac, yet couldn't quite catch up. Tony Scott disappeared around a corner, and Frankie blocked her view. His countdown dropped suddenly. Jane pressed on faster, her heart beating against her rib cage. Her attention shifted from the suspect to Frankie and she forced herself forwards, striding that little bit further. His number continued to slip downwards until there were merely seconds left.

Jane caught sight of the truck long before Frankie stepped into the road. Tony Scott disappeared behind a couple of cars across the road. Jane threw herself forward and tugged Frankie backwards, he stumbled against her, landing on top of her as she tumbled to the floor. She closed her eyes and gasped for breath. A loud horn blared out, silencing everyone on the street.

"Janie?" Frankie asked, shaking her arms. She opened them again and stared up into his face. He cupped her cheeks and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. She sat up and clung to her brother. The buzz of the street outside the hospital returned to normal, as people continued about their day.

When Jane looked past Frankie to the people walking around them, their numbers no longer counted down above their heads. Jane's heart sped up. She jumped to her feet and turned around, searching the crowd.

"No, no, no," she shouted, placing a hand on either of Frankie's shoulder's. She ran her fingers over the top of his head, his eyebrows creased together. "This can't be happening. What the fuck did I do?"

"You saved me, Jane," Frankie said, the line between his eyebrows deepened.

Then he froze, his eyes moved up above Jane's head, then back down to her face. He span around on the spot and Jane could see the same look of horror in his eyes she felt the day she woke up to the countdown.

"What the hell is happening, Janie?" he asked, moving his fingers over her head.

"Do you see them?" she asked.

"Numbers, I see numbers," he said.

She lowered her head and let out a guttural groan. She ran her hands through her hair. What did she do? She saved Frankie's life, but at what expense?


	6. Chapter 6

**Author Notes : Well, here we are, at the end of the story. Thank you to everyone who has commented, favourited, followed, etc. Whilst I mostly write because I enjoy it, any readers of my work are a bonus, and feedback in any way really spurs me on. So thank you. Also, thank you for your patience. I know there was a big break, but I hope it's been worth it in the end. Enjoy the final chapter.**

* * *

Frankie sat across from Jane, his shoulders hunched over his desk and his head in his hand. Jane watched him, her eyes trained on his head, hoping desperately that somehow the numbers would return and she could go back to saving Maura's life. If the risk wasn't already removed.

"They still there?" she asked, ignoring the room full of people who could potentially hear them.

"Yes, they're still there," Frankie said, groaning.

The whole situation made no sense at all. Jane doubted, for the briefest moment, ever being able to see anything at all. It was so far removed from her experience of reality. But now Frankie could see the countdown. She stood up, an idea formed in her mind. She gripped hold of Frankie's arm and dragged him out of his seat.

"What are you doing?" he asked, fighting against her, but she was too strong.

"Move," she said, pushing him out of the room and towards the elevator.

She pushed the button for the basement and waited. Without a word, she tapped his back the second the doors opened and he stepped inside. Jane hoped Maura was in the lab, or her office. When they found her in neither, Jane felt her heart beat faster. They turned back to the elevator and Maura exited the bathroom.

"There you are," Jane said, holding a hand out for Frankie. He stared at her, his brow furrowed. Jane glared.

"I don't understand what is going on," Maura said. "I have work to do, perhaps you can continue your sibling thing upstairs."

"Wait," Jane said, resting her hands around Maura's arms from behind. She pointed to the top of her head and Frankie's eyes travelled upwards. Maura moved her head, consciously aware of something going on above her.

"What?"

Frankie's eyes grew wide. "Holy smoke."

"We'll leave you to it, Maura," Jane said, stepping away and walking towards the elevator. Frankie stood in front of Maura, his mouth agape. "Frankie, come on."

"Why are you staring?" Maura asked.

He shrugged his shoulders and stepped into the elevator beside Jane. She hated to lie to Maura, or omit the truth, well, she hated it sometimes. She wished she could explain but something weird was going on and she couldn't explain it without dragging Frankie into her already unusual delusions.

Jane tapped her foot against the floor. She wanted to ask, yet the very thought of the answer was enough to leave her shaking. She slipped her hands into her pockets to disguise the tremor.

"How low was it?"

"Twenty eight point four six," he said. "What does that mean?"

"It means Maura's running out of time."

"What happens when it gets to zero?"

Jane smacked him across the arm and returned her hand to her pocket. "What do you think happens, Francesco?"

"No," he said, shaking his head. The elevator doors opened. "It can't mean that."

"I've seen it with my own eyes," she said, stepped out. "We need to do something."

"What?" He shrugged his shoulders again and followed her. "What's going to happen?"

"The only thing I know is that Maura's number went down when she saved Alice. I don't know if there's a connection, but we need to find out. We need to get Tony Scott back in custody."

"We've got two officers on her room at all times," Frankie said. "If he returns to her room, he's going to be refused entry. But we have nothing to hold him."

"Then we'll have to find something."

x

With her gun in its holster, Jane stood beside the hospital room door. She slipped her jacket over her shoulders and waited. They were ready. The day before, Tony Scott visited the room at the exact same time as his first visit.

"You sure Maura's in her office?" Jane asked.

"Sure as I can be," Frankie replied.

She wasn't convinced. They had just a couple hours left before Maura's countdown reached zero. They'd wasted most of the last day coming up with a plan to attempt to stop Tony Scott. In reality they had very little to go on, and no reason to actually arresting the man should he turn up at the hospital.

"Alice is safe in the other room?" Jane asked, checking everything one last time before Tony Scott's scheduled arrival.

"She's three doors away, no one else knows where she is."

"The officers are all in position?"

"Jane," Frankie said. "We're ready."

"Let me just check on Maura," Jane said, taking her cell phone out of her pocket and dialling Maura's number. "Hi, it's Jane."

"How can I help you, Jane?" Maura asked. "I thought you were busy, at the hospital."

"I am. Where are you?"

"I'm visiting Alice."

"What?" Jane asked. She turned to Frankie, her eyes wide with anticipation and concern. "Why are you at the hospital?"

"I figured while you're trying to apprehend her probable attacker, I would keep her company."

"No, Maura, turn around and go home."

"Jane, I'm."

The call cut out. A tingling sensation travelled across the back of her neck. She turned to Frankie who only stared back at her.

"Maura's here," Jane said. "She's visiting Alice and her phone cut out."

"Bad reception?" Frankie asked.

"I don't know."

She checked the time. In the fussing around, it was already five minutes past the hour. As if on cue, Tony Scott rounded the corner. He marched towards the room, ignoring Jane and Frankie. They let him pass, hoping his actions would force their hand. They watched from the doorway as he moved towards the bed. He reached out and ran his hand across the sleeping form of their decoy.

"Alice, beautiful, I'm here."

The officer they'd assigned to the task of playing the part of Alice mumbled a little, and pulled the bed sheets up tighter around her head.

"I won't let anyone hurt you again. I promise. You're safe now."

"Mr Scott," Jane said, stepping into the room. "I wanted to ask you a couple of questions, about the night Alice was attacked."

Jane looked to Frankie who looked back at her. This wasn't what was supposed to be happening. He was their guy. She was sure of it. But the way he spoke, the way he touched her, was filled with nothing but love. Probably stalker, obsessive love. But she saw no malice in his actions.

"You told us you saw her outside the club, didn't you?"

"Of course I did," he said. "It was the first time we made love."

"The condom," Jane whispered. " _You_ raped her."

"No, I'd never do that," he said, shaking his head. "She wanted it to happen. She was just scared. Her boyfriend can be pretty jealous."

A loud clattering travelled down the corridor from the direction of Alice's new room, followed by the screams of a woman. Jane set off at speed, retrieving her gun from its holster as she skidded to a halt outside Alice's bedroom. The room was empty. Alice lay on the floor, her face stained with tears.

"What happened? Are you okay?"

After a brief nod from Alice, Jane turned to the corridor. A tall man, who she recognised to be Jason Harrigan, stood a few feet away. His hand was tightly wrapped around Maura's chest, a scalpel in his grip. Maura's eyes danced from Jane, to the knife, and back again.

"Let's not do anything too hasty," Jane said, stepping forwards.

He pressed the blade against Maura's neck and a small amount of blood leaked from a wound. Maura scrunched her eyes up, her chest heaved up and down.

"This doesn't have to end badly," Jane tried again. She stepped backwards. "Please. Just let her go. You don't have to do this. We can work something out."

"No, we can't."

He moved backwards, Maura stepped back, on her tiptoes, as she tried to keep the blade away. Jane swallowed. The blood dribbled down her neck, a small, thin, red line.

"It was you, wasn't it?" Jane asked. "Alice left the club, you went back to play a set, and then you came out and she was with a guy from work."

"She lied to me," he said. "She told me he was stalking her. She lied."

"No," Jane said. "She didn't lie. She didn't want to be with him. He raped her. But you didn't see that. You were too busy crushing her skull."

Feet shuffled across the floor. Jane turned around, and Frankie stood behind her, his gun out in front of him.

"Did you arrest Scott?" she whispered behind her.

"Torres and O'Brien are taking him in."

"Please, Jason, put the scalpel down." Jane refocused her attention on Maura. She stared into her eyes, pleading with her to hang in there. "If you hurt her, you're hurting the Chief Medical Examiner for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. If she dies, you go to jail for a very long time."

"No," he said, backing up further. "We're going to leave."

"We can't let that happen," Jane said, holding a hand up to Frankie. A couple of other officers joined him. "Why don't you just put the scalpel down and we can talk about this?"

"No," he shouted.

"Jason, listen to me," she said, still gripping the gun in front of her. "If you don't do as I say, you will not make it out of this hospital alive. Do you understand me?"

"You shoot me and I'll kill her," he said, pressing harder with the blade. Jane closed her eyes as the amount of blood intensified.

"Okay," she said, turning around. "How's it looking, Frankie?"

"One hour, nine minutes."

Jane lowered her eyes and holstered her gun. She searched her mind, hoping that somehow she would figure out a way to save Maura without taking the life of a man who was obviously desperate. Given the position she was in, if Jason caused Maura more serious injury, she would bleed out. Her death wouldn't necessarily happen immediately, but it was clear from the situation that either the fatal blow would happen now, or he would get his wish and take her away. She lifted her hands and glanced down them. The shot wasn't clean. Whatever they did, they risked harming Maura. Then she saw the fire exit sign above a door behind Maura and Jason.

"I'll be back," Jane said, loudly enough for Jason to hear.

She walked away from Maura, away from Frankie and the other officers. She didn't stop walking until she reached the elevator. She took it up a floor, before running down the corridor and opening the fire escape. She took the stairs two at a time, flying down until she reached the door. She opened it slowly, cautiously.

"Think about what you're doing," Frankie shouted down the corridor. He barely acknowledged her as she moved behind Jason.

Before he could sense her presence, she jumped on him, her hand wrapped around the fist with the blade in it. She tugged it back and pulled him towards the wall, smacking his wrist against the window ledge until he dropped the scalpel.

"Jason Harrigan, you're under arrest," she said, forcing his arms behind his back as she slapped her cuffs over his wrists. Frankie ran down the corridor and she handed Jason over to him. She'd done her bit. Before Frankie could walk away, she grabbed his arm. "How's it looking?"

He looked to Maura. "Healthy. You know I'm no good at fast math, but I'd say she's got years."

"Thank God," Jane whispered, placing a hand on her chest. She gasped for breath, the running catching up with her. She knelt down on the floor and pulled Maura into her arms. "Thank God you're okay."

Maura ran a hand across her neck, her fingers soaked in blood. "Nearly. Thankfully it's just a surface wound."

"Don't do that to me again," Jane said, hugging her tighter. She slipped her chin onto Maura's shoulder and closed her eyes. She could feel blood soaking her shirt, but she didn't care. "I love you. Don't die on me."

"I wasn't planning on doing," Maura said, a weak smile across her face.

"Let's get you checked out."

x

Back at the police department, Jane finished off her paperwork. She placed it in the file and put the file on her desk. She was exhausted. The lack of sleep, and increased worrying, had taken its toll. She was ready for a beer and an early night.

Frankie entered the room. He stood in front of her, his hands in his pockets and a scowl on his face. "When's is gonna go? It's driving me crazy."

"You gotta save someone's life," Jane said. "I think."

"How am I gonna do that?"

"Don't ask me," she said.

"Well how'd you do it?"

"I saw your number go down and I pulled you from the road."

"It's that simple?"

"It was for me."

He shrugged his shoulders and leant against the corner of the desk. "You got any idea what Nina wants to talk to me about?"

Jane felt the tug of her lips. She attempted to keep her face straight. "I think it's up to Nina to tell you, but you might want to look at her stomach."

"Look at her stomach?" he frowned. "What does that even mean?"

"You ready to go?"

Frankie turned around as Nina entered the room. She slipped her jacket around her shoulders. He glanced down at her stomach and his eyes grew wide. He turned back to Jane and she merely nodded.

"Sure," he said.

Jane laughed to herself as Frankie's eyes remained wide, and his mouth agape. He looked petrified, but she knew it'd be okay. He was a decent guy, after all. She stood up and retrieved her own jacket from the back of her chair. She folded it over her arm and walked towards the elevator.

x

Unlocking her car door, Maura walked up beside her, a smile on her face and a bandage over her neck.

"Hey, you," Jane said, showing off her pearly whites. She ran a hand along Maura's upper arm. "How you doing?"

"I'm fine," Maura said. "As I suspected, it was nothing serious."

"I'm never gonna let anyone hurt you again," Jane said, reaching her arms around Maura's shoulders and pulling her in tight. She cared too much about her to lose her.

Maura pulled back. "Thank you for your concern, but I don't intend to be apprehended in a corridor again anytime soon."

"Let's stay away from hospitals," Jane said. She locked the car again. "Dirty Robber?"

"That would be lovely."

They fell into step beside each other, Maura's arm linking Jane's. They'd taken that walk time and time again. Nothing every really changed. Jane was happy. For the first time in a couple of weeks, she was okay. Maybe now everything could go back to normal.

"Jane," Maura said, once they'd ordered their drinks and taken a seat in a booth.

"Yeah?"

"How did you know something was going to happen to me?"

"I didn't," she said, shrugging. She forged her best innocent expression. "I guess I just got scared. After Ricardo and his dad, then Korsak, I worry about you."

"You don't need to worry about me. I'm fine."

"Now you are," Jane said, sipping on her beer.

"Nor do you have to worry about Korsak," Maura said. "He's coming home tomorrow."

"Really? That's fantastic."

Maura smiled and swallowed a mouthful of wine. She reached a hand out to Jane's, and Jane took it. The gentle squeeze of Maura's fingers around her own made her feel so much better. Everything was falling back into place.

"I saw Frankie on my way to your car," Maura said. "He looked terrified. Do you know what's wrong?"

"Let's just say my baby brother is going to be changing a lot of diapers in about eight months' time."

"How?" Maura asked.

"What do you mean how? My brother's sperm got inside Nina's vajayjay and now they're having a baby."

Maura's lips curved at the edges briefly. "I didn't even know Nina and Frankie were seeing each other."

"I suspect they'll be seeing a lot more of each other from now on."

"Aunt Jane."

"Sounds weird, doesn't it?"

"Only about as weird a Detective Jane." Jane smacked her playfully on the back of her hand. "Ow."

"You deserved that."

Maura placed a hand on her neck. "But I'm injured."

"Injured," Jane scoffed and supped on her beer. "Anybody tries to injure you again and I'll shoot them."

"Thank you, but I'd rather you didn't land yourself in jail."

"You're forgetting that I know the mistakes people make when they commit murder."

"And you're forgetting that I'm an expert medical examiner."

"You wouldn't autopsy the body."

"I would."

"But you're my friend."

"So?"

"So, you'll be on my side."

"I'm on the side of the law."

"You'd choose the law over me?"

"Maybe," Maura said, with a smirk.

"I change my mind," Jane said, gripping Maura's hand tighter. "I don't love you after all."

"Doubtful."

 _ **THE END**_


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